To those who worship wind and solar

“Wind turbine’s real production is less than half of what it is alleged to be.” – Anon
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To those who worship wind and solar

Renewables are a dead loss, economically, in reliability, and ecologically.Anonymous Contributor

You’ve swallowed the green propaganda on renewables hook, line and sinker. Wind and solar are wasters of resources. They are net energy SINKS when all of their actual energy inputs are taken into account.

For instance wind turbines frequently draw power FROM the grid to maintain themselves. They cannibalise the grid and have nothing to contribute to the future of humanity. Renewables salesmen exaggerate the lifespan of wind and solar generators to about twice their real productive life, especially for wind. Wind turbines are typically given a theoretical lifespan of 30 years. In practice they are uneconomic to run (even with their massive subsidies) at 15 years of age on land, and 12 years in the case of offshore wind turbines. This means that their real costs are actually more than twice their alleged costs, or put another way, their real production is less than half of what it is alleged to be.

Solar panels lose on average 2% efficiency each year due to the effects of UV on the solar cells and physical external degradation caused by their local environment. In dusty areas, knock off another 25% efficiency (recorded in China and India). In humid tropical/sub-tropical areas, knock off up to 75% efficiency if they are not constantly cleaned (moss and algal growth quickly covers the glass panels). In the hotter, sunnier parts of Australia they are failing at 10 years of age, not the 25 years that all of their production calculations are based on. Even operating at their best, solar panels are a very inefficient, lousy way of capturing a very diffuse source of energy. Coal and gas are concentrated energy sources.

Renewables’ main contribution (apart from lining the pockets of their owners) is to de-stabilise existing fossil fueled grids and make the backup fossil fuel power stations a lot less efficient. We are forced to run (and pay for) two parallel generation systems â€” the unreliable, inefficient renewables one that doesn’t work, backed up by the coal and gas one that does work. In other words, renewables effectively waste a lot of energy in their construction and maintenance, in the excessive powerline infrastructure they necessitate, and in their effects on the reliable grid suppliers among other things.

Renewables are a dead loss, economically, in reliability, and ecologically. To say that they are a dead loss is not a cheap shot – it is reality. The sooner they are ditched, the better off we will all be.

52 thoughts on “To those who worship wind and solar”

Good article, written by someone in the power business.
It is not the first time that government has contrived a plan that doubles the capacity.
In England in the early 1600s, a long boom had ended forcing higher unemployment and hardship.
Listening to an advisor (Cockayne), the king decided to build the facilities for finishing cloth that was done in Holland, the commercial and financial center of the world. This value-added would be kept in England.
Effectively it doubled the capacity for finishing cloth.
Veteran London merchants looked at the scheme and called it a sepulcher. “Attractive without, dead bones within”.
Another comment on the forced “make work” program was that it was an example of “Tyrannical Duncery”.
The scheme was not needed and for the taxpayers an expensive disaster.
Lots of Tyrannical Duncery going around these days.

As long as the purveyors of this schtick are allowed to contribute to kongresskritters’ campaigns, we will continue to be fleeced by these crooks. Until, and it is until, not unless, we crash our grid.

A sequence of cold records in Russian regions:
All news by “IA Meteonovosti”

On the Arctic coast of Chukotka, a record cold –
The Arctic anticyclone, with its center above the Novosibirsk islands, has also encompassed the Arctic coast of the Far East. On its eastern periphery with the northern winds lowers the cold air. On the eve, the average daily temperature was below the climatic norm by 2-4 degrees. And on the night of August 8 in Pevek (Chukotka district) in the early morning hours the thermometer dropped to +1°C, which was the new absolute minimum for this day, the previous one was +1.3 degrees and was observed in 1017).
In the next couple of days, the synoptic situation will not change significantly. On the eastern periphery of the anticyclone at night, in places the air will cool from +2 to -3°C.
And this means that the probability of new record low temperatures remains.http://hmn.ru/index.php?index=1&ts=180809111259
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Record cold is fixed in Komi

On the eve of the Komi Republic, on the one hand, it was in the rear part of the cyclone that is above the Yamal-Nenets district, and on the other – in the north-eastern periphery of the anticyclone, whose center was located above the west of Ukraine.
With clear and quiet weather in Pechora in the early morning hours of August 8, the air cooled to +1°C, which was the new absolute minimum for this number. The previous cold record belonged to 2017 with a value of +1.3°C.
On Friday, the last working day in the outgoing week, the wave cyclone will cover with clouds, from which small rains will be poured and places, the temperature in the extreme northeast will rise to 4..9°C at night.
But already at the weekend, in the rear of the cyclone, a portion of fresh air will come with the western wind, and in the early morning hours in the northern regions the temperature will drop to +1 degree in some places, and the probability of weak frosts also increases.http://hmn.ru/index.php?index=1&ts=180809134621
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In the Irkutsk region again frost

Anticyclone, spread over much of Siberia, keeps cool weather, average daily air temperature is below the perennial values ​​by 2-3, and sometimes by 4°C.
Last night, August 9, in the conditions of the anticyclone, it was clear, and in the north of the Irkutsk region frosts were fixed to -2°C.
In the next couple of days, the weather will still be controlled by the anti-cyclone, so freezing up to -2°C will be maintained in the northern regions of the Irkutsk region.http://hmn.ru/index.php?index=1&ts=180809124519

In Britain they discovered that most of the offshore turbines in one area had badly damaged blades that needed replacing 5 years in. Overlooked in the initial calculations was the abrasive power of sea water in high winds, I suspect.

There is a great deal of truth in the assessment above but only for large commercial installations. Where solar shines (pun intended) is in home production. With a battery backup system a homeowner can withstand brownouts or storm outages without loosing the contents of refrigerator and freezer. In the winter it is good to be able to run the furnace and in hot climates with a larger system, the A/C.

How would I know? Well a few years ago I installed a 12KW system. I bought the system as a kit and did the installation myself. It will take close to a decade to pay for itself but it wasn’t really the cost savings I was after but the reliability of service. Now when the grid goes down because of a storm I don’t even know about it until a neighbor tells me about it.

It was a big expense, I did in fact take advantage of the government subsidy of 30%, I think I would have been stupid not to but it was still a big hit.

This is not for everybody but it isn’t rocket science and I highly recommend it if you intend to be in the same place for several years and can DIY.

My webmaster says WordPress updated the system to comply with the new European privacy laws. There’s supposed to be a checkbox for readers to opt out, but we can’t seem to find that checkbox. We’ll keep looking for it. In the meantime, please be assured that I am not collecting your info, and that I am the one who approves or disapproves your comments.

We live near the coast in queensland, wind generators not rotating or working last night, NO WIND, not a breathe.
I also noticed our solar panels were not generating power at night, funny the way some of the so called educated experts tell us we can survive on solar and wind, YEAHHHHH right, sure we can.
And then today, high winds are predicted for further south, will they be feathering the turbines as toooo much wind can damage them, I suspect so, so still no solar or wind power.
maybe just maybe Canberra will be on power blackout tonight, when it is going to be really cold, OHHH can always dream.

in aus where i am the locals have fallen for solar rooftop install bigtime
entire towns roofs are a blight
not one of these people clean them and we are in windy n sandy area
added to that is wooden home that catch fire usually winter from chimney fires
panels make access impossible for the firies
reckon it will only take one such event in town to wake em up;-)

heres something to ponder, mates got soalr
her “rebate” has gone from 20+c down to 6c kwk sent to grid
her bills are around 700 for 3mths!
and thats with her using(she thinks) her roof power during the day for washer dryer etc
rev cycle aircon running all day etc
now the power co DROP that 700$ down to 300+ IF she pays entire bill on due date
so??? how much utter rorting on the actual bill is going on one wonders?
keep telling her she needs another company OR pref to call the ombudsman

A few years back, I asked an ‘expert’ who was guesting on local talk radio: What does a Wind tower cost to buy, install and maintain…He couldn’t answer. I saw many towers not moving, damaged, inactive on mountain and ridgetops between Las Vegas and Bakersfield…and WE ARE PAYING FOR THEM. On Solar: without government subsidy, nobody could afford them. However, I have lived in 2 PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSES, since 1977. I spend about 300.00 per year for propane gas/heat/cookstove…and I live in the Mountains at 7,500 ft. The Government never gave me one cent.

The panels I bought for my sailboat work incredibly well. I can throw those aluminum bread/meatloaf pans full of water into my freezer and have solid blocks of ice in just a few hours. The panels haven’t deteriorated in the slightest in over five years. I’m in a quite humid area of Florida, but the only thing I have to clean off the panels is bird crap. The panels aren’t the problem. The prices are only coming down too. The problem has always been the batteries, but even they aren’t that expensive anymore. I knew nothing about solar until I bought my last boat, and I was amazed at how efficient they are at capturing electricity from the sun. On quite cloudy days, my system is producing more than enough electricity to run everything all night long.

My electric bill at my home runs around a grand a year which is pretty low. The system on my boat worked out to around $3k not including the refrigerator which came with the boat. They can be picked up for around a grand as well. This system will last way more than four years so even with your worst case scenario, I’m still saving at least a grand over five years. There is no doubt that my system will last at least ten years and I wouldn’t be surprised it if it lasted 20 which is going to save me a TON of money.

I got a check box at the bottom of the name/email fields that says :
“Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.” I checked the box, and my post awaiting moderation and info appeared as previously, along with the “awaiting moderation…” notice

Wind does seem like a stupid idea: having to put up all those massive ridiculous looking windmills.
Now solar seems like maybe a better idea, but as you say the maintenance part may cut way into its effectiveness.

I paid about $1500 for my entire system. It takes nothing from the grid. I expect it to last the rest of my life. I may have to replace the batteries at some point, or a fuse or two. Otherwise I’m set. This author is a moron.

Enthusiasm for wind power is in exact inverse proportions to its advocates’ technical knowledge. Liberal arts grads invariably are enthused about it, actual scientists and technicians not so much. First, the wind can only generate energy when the winds are blowing and require vast electrical storage capacities when it’s not, plus the need to convert AC to DC and back again. Wind power is a total non-starter, though it’s the darling of the ignorant eco-freaks who couldn’t describe the working principles of a table-spoon.

Small scale wind power is fine. If you use to to pull a small supplemental power home generator. Better still, if you use the wind power directly with a water pumping windmill, it can make economic sense by saving the expense of running power lines to a remote location. However, large scale wind power is a boondoggle, a drain on valuable resources, and a false promise that is doomed to fail. A hundred years from now, kids may ask their parents what all those rusting towers that dot the landscape were for.

I’m in the nuclear power/research industry. Everyone keeps overlooking the btu/dollar equation for power generation. Based on the price per unit volume of fuel, nuclear can’t be beat; however, due to heavy-handed regulation, it cannot compete.

The author is also correct about the huge footprint these “green” technologies require and the environmental damage they cause due to construction/maintenance and power distribution to the grid. The up and coming SMR (Small Modular Reactors) footprints will literally be a few acres of land total considering most of the core infrastructure will be below grade.

To put it more simply so that even mentally challenged people (the Left) can understand, if wind and solar were really economically viable in a TRUE open market competition, all of the turbines and solar panels would have “Exxon, BP or Shell” written on side of them. Think about it.

THANK YOU FOR THE TRUTH exposing this little SCAM !!! They have some nerve, using the lure of “modern technological progress, be the first kid on the block to own one” hook, to reel in the unsuspecting fish !!!!!!

I sit here in air conditioned comfort at 74 degrees with outside temps of 86 degrees

We are off grid for the last 4 days. All power provided 100% by solar energy while grid customers are forced to keep their thermostats at 79 degrees or face getting their electric hot water turned off.

Although I agree with this article on how inefficient solar and wind are for the grid based systems in place in most countries, I live in a place where the grid doesn’t reach, so am forced to use solar (wind isn’t efficient enough here). But my solar system is my only electricity, other than occasional generator use and it works just fine. Solar will work in individual situations with battery back up. Maybe it would work in very small villages too. But, yes, with the grid we have now, it is inefficient, and a waste of money and time to set up.

Alternative power such as wind or solar may be useful in some situations. The real advantage, if there is one, is that it’s already distributed. Trying to centralize it and send it over a power grid automatically defeats any advantages it may have.

Total BS Article. I have been off the Greedy Grid for 3.5 Years. DO the math. ROI in 5 years using Solar. The wackos who say panels degradation are BS. Maybe 15% over 25 years. And with 25 year warrantee. And that Hurricane IRMA,, I was the only household in the entire area with electricity, SOLAR and everybody else was out for 6+ days. And all their food had to be thrown out, due to loss in refridgeration. Get real another BS article written my some coal fired plant Low IQ moron, to disparage renewable energy. Funny how even Saudi Arabia is moving to solar. And their cost to pump oil is less than $5 a barrel.. lol

Wind and solar are not a system of converting the elements into electricity. They are a system of transferring money from the pockets of the taxpayers into the pockets of the wealthy individuals who make, install, and maintain these systems.

I agree with this article, Being an engineer yes wind turbines are very un-environmentally friendly at lots of levels. 1 Huge copper use, more copper per MW than any steam/water/hydro generator. (The hydro generators run about1-3 MW), no wind turbine can match it. 2 Also magnets in these wind monstrosities are made from rare earth metals which dont have a good environmental record when mined also they are a limited resource.
Funnily I hate the term ‘renewable energy’ How is energy renewable!! Energy is is energy a physical property of the universe. E= MC^2.
Gas, and probably oil, is definitely renewable in the sense theres enough hydrocarbon in the planet to last us a few 100000 years at a guess. I think long after civilisation has ceased to exist. (or we can mine Titan!)

While I tend to agree with all of the above, does anyone have actual statistics?
I have heard that the exception to the above is solar hot water and air heating. Does anyone have the facts and statistics on that?

Wind and solar are promoted because they don’t work well. Because they severely limit the energy available. This in turn allows for more government power over people.

If wind or solar suddenly worked or someone released a zero-point energy generation device into the market environmentalists would move to have whatever it is banned immediately. Because it’s not about the environment, it’s about power.

Renewable makes me feel good. Make me feel superior and I like feeling superior over Southerners and Trailer Trash. Superiority is racist, except when it makes me feel good.

I like feeling good. I like me.

As for dead birds from Renewable Carbon Free Wind? As Uncle Joe (Stalin) said, you have to break eggs to make quiche, so if a few racists capitalist pigs have to be removed from a benevolent, open, tolerant society? Then so be it.

The common good always TRUMPS the greedy selfish demands of the yellow running dog capitalist robber baron. Uncle Joe “reeducated” about 25 million selfish land owners and thus paved the way for the Socialist Paradise of Communal living.

TO advance the love of future peace, sharing, and Equality, don’t shirk from the need to “reeducate” the close minded. We really don’t need nor want these selfish people who think they have a right to do as they want. Communism works whenever the People have the strong devoted desire to MAKE IT WORK>!!!!!!!